This anger was different from before. In the past, when she became angry, she would eliminate whoever displeased her. But today, the one who displeased her was Xiao Huayong. Though she was angry and annoyed with him, she never thought of harming him in the slightest.

She was frustrated because Xiao Huayong wouldn’t give her even a bit of trust. No matter what Xiao Huayong did, no matter how dangerous, even though she worried, she never tried to stop him because she trusted him.

But Xiao Huayong wouldn’t trust her. Since she dared to act this way, dared to provoke His Majesty into punishing her as a warning, she naturally could handle any unexpected situation. Yet Xiao Huayong wouldn’t let her try at all.

Did Xiao Huayong see her as a woman who needed to be protected behind a man, living only in dependence on men?

The more she thought about it, the more stifled Shen Xihe felt.

With the two masters quarreling, the Eastern Palace seemed shrouded in dark clouds. Everyone in the Eastern Palace was as quiet as cicadas in winter, making the usually vibrant and cheerful palace that had been full of vigor since Shen Xihe’s arrival feel particularly oppressive as if a violent storm could break at any moment.

Since their marriage, regardless of when, Xiao Huayong would always come to share the evening meal with her, preparing different dishes for her every day. Today, as evening approached, Jiuzhang came trembling to report that he didn’t know where His Highness had gone and asked her to arrange the evening meal.

Shen Xihe’s expression darkened upon hearing this, but she wasn’t one to take out her anger on others, so she casually gave some instructions to Jiuzhang.

Though given casually, half of what she ordered were dishes Xiao Huayong loved. When the evening meal was ready and the sky had darkened, there was still no report of the Crown Prince returning to the palace, and her expression grew darker and darker.

Biyu gathered her courage and said, “Crown Princess, perhaps this servant could go ask where His Highness is…”

“No need!” Before Biyu could finish, Shen Xihe cut her off loudly, “Have the kitchen serve the meal.”

Biyu and Hongyu shrank their necks and withdrew to have the meal served.

The delicious food with its perfect color, aroma, and taste was placed before Shen Xihe. She picked up her chopsticks and took a few casual bites, but had no appetite to eat more, and ordered it all taken away.

Night fell, the stars were like dreams; the bright moon hung high, and ten thousand lanterns blazed.

Xiao Huayong’s whereabouts remained unknown. Shen Xihe wouldn’t let anyone look for him because she refused to yield, not knowing that Xiao Huayong was sitting at the Eastern Palace gate, where she would see him if she just stepped out. Xiao Huayong had forbidden the guards at the gate from reporting his presence as if testing whether Shen Xihe would send someone to look for him.

Tianyuan stood to one side, quite troubled. He knew His Highness didn’t want the Crown Princess to submit or concede, he just wanted her to comfort him a little, to make him feel better.

Seeing the sky darken, his stomach was growling with hunger, but Xiao Huayong sat on the stone steps at the Eastern Palace gate, his gaze fixed absently on two maple trees ahead, his expression blank and frozen.

He was so anxious he wanted to run in and drag Shen Xihe out, but he didn’t dare. If he took such initiative, his fate would likely be miserable. If it could restore harmony between the two masters, he would gladly sacrifice himself for His Highness, but he feared making things worse, making the situation between them even more awkward – that would be an unforgivable sin.

The two were barely a few hundred steps apart – one unwilling to search, one waiting to be comforted – grinding away until the moon leaned against the western tower, neither seeing the other’s face, one growing more irritated, one growing more hurt.

“Crown Princess…”

“I want to bathe,” Shen Xihe wouldn’t let Zhenzhu and the others speak.

Zhenzhu opened her mouth but went to prepare instead. After attending to the distracted Shen Xihe’s bath, Shen Xihe drove them all away, lay down on the bed, and covered herself with the blanket, thinking she could fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes, but found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

As for the Crown Prince, he sat at the Eastern Palace gate until Shen Xihe’s bedtime, when he finally couldn’t bear it anymore. He stood up and walked to the inner courtyard, sitting down on the stone steps at the inner courtyard gate.

After sitting for a while, feeling perhaps it was still too far, he entered the inner courtyard with a stern face and sat at the door of their bedchamber.

Zhenzhu and the others were overjoyed and wanted to announce him, but meeting Xiao Huayong’s sharp and cold eyes, they had to swallow their words.

This was the Eastern Palace, and they were now not just Shen Xihe’s people, but had to respect the Crown Prince just as they respected her.

Xiao Huayong sat at the bedroom door for a long time, until his heart grew as cool as the late spring night wind when the door opened from within. The warm candlelight suddenly enveloped him, driving away the frost that had settled in his heart.

Shen Xihe hadn’t expected to open the door and see the man who had kept her from sleeping.

Still somewhat annoyed, Shen Xihe’s tone was quite harsh: “Why are you here?”

All of Xiao Huayong’s grievances and hurt vanished the moment Shen Xihe opened the door. He was certain she cared about him, or she wouldn’t still be awake at this hour, and wouldn’t come out to look for him, as evidenced by the cloak she wore.

Holding back his smile, restraining his lips from curving upward: “I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find me.”

Shen Xihe, who had been angry enough to hit someone, strangely found herself more annoyed by these words – not angry-annoyed but embarrassed-annoyed. She rarely spoke contrary to her heart: “Who’s looking for you? Where you want to go, how could I interfere?”

After speaking, she turned back to the bedroom. Xiao Huayong’s eyes once again carried a faint smile as he naturally followed her in.

Seeing this, Tianyuan clasped his hands together, silently bowing in all directions, muttering “Amitabha” under his breath.

Finally, the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, the storm had passed to clear skies.

As soon as Xiao Huayong stepped into the room, his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.

This made Shen Xihe turn to look at him. Xiao Huayong wasn’t embarrassed at all, saying pitifully: “I haven’t had my evening meal.”

“Zhenzhu…”

“I want wontons,” Xiao Huayong made his request before Shen Xihe could finish giving instructions.

Shen Xihe gave him a look and headed toward the kitchen. Xiao Huayong followed contentedly, walking beside her. First, he brushed the back of her hand with his; when she didn’t pull away, he boldly grabbed it, holding her hand tightly.

When Shen Xihe pulled away, he quickly grabbed it again, holding it even tighter this time.

After trying to shake him off several times without success, Shen Xihe simply let him be.

Having gotten his way, Xiao Huayong’s smile widened: “Youyou, shall we not quarrel anymore in the future?”

He had felt terrible, never so terrible before – it was truly more tormenting than when his illness flared up.

“I wasn’t the one quarreling with you,” Shen Xihe wouldn’t admit they had fought – any quarreling had been Xiao Huayong’s one-sided behavior.

“It was my fault. If you insist…”

Shen Xihe suddenly stopped and turned to look at him: “I won’t go through the underground palace, but I can switch places with your people halfway, then follow behind His Majesty’s men.”

This was Shen Xihe’s compromise solution, and it was the first time in her life she had ever made a concession in her plans for someone else.